Get Shorty (1995)

Chili Palmer is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic "Bones" Barboni, to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm, a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror films. When Chili meets Harry's leading lady, the romantic sparks fly. After pitching his own life story as a movie idea, Chili learns that being a mobster and being a Hollywood producer really aren't all that different.

After hearing, I can see instantly why this is the author, Elmore Leonard's favorite movie adaptation from his writing. First of all John Travolta was a solid-standard, as Chili. If you're a Travolta fan, this is an instant classic performance for him!! He personifies East coast attitude and 'M.O'. His breeze onto the scene and in control persona are a part of this movie that would have collapsed it, had it not been an ingredient in this mix of action, sarcasm and loan-sharking gone amok. Chili is superior.

Gene Hackman, is an attempted to be cool, b-movie director, who hasn't had a hit in years, and you can feel it. Gene's man Harry is so played-right it's embarrassing. I know people that are like that. I was laughing till it hurt, from the familiar pain, of the ones who reminded me of the great Harry Zimm. Hackman is astounding.

Before there was the Sopranos there was {James Gandolfini as} 'Bear' Bo's handy-man, his fix-it guy all around. Bear reminds me (sort of) one of my cousins. Ha, take that home with ya in a doggy bag!

Danny Devito, is a great self-conscious (and to others feelings) selfish and unconscious, totally absorbed actor, who is about the way it is with many of the actor types, who let it go too far. Danny is the man!

Rene Russo is the lovely, Karen Flores of course and she is as pretty in pictures as in 'Real' life. I got to meet her in 1992, and got a really great hug from her, she's very thoughtful and talented, with much more talent to follow after this great film.

The way the story was set up and progressed with, makes me love this and puts it in a special place in my entertainment library.

This is a fun 'You gotta see it and experience the mood and all the other emotions that follow' type of movie madness that makes watching some movies, very worthwhile. This is a high rater!!! (*****) Caution: Language rating pretty bad!!